in the kitchen: a taste of fall

is it just me or did the arrival of september bring with it the anticipation of cool mornings, leaves changing, and tasty autumn (yes, i prefer autumn over fall) cooking? even though it’s still in the upper 80’s here in atlanta, i couldn’t help layering a cardigan a few times last week and even venturing into the kitchen to make some baked fall goodness. one recipe in particular seemed to be a perfect transition from summer to fall, and we enjoyed it too much not to share.

Country Applesauce Muffins (from Williams-Sonoma “Muffins”)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, or 1 cup dark or golden raisins *
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/3 cup almond oil, walnut oil, or canola oil
1 large egg
1 heaping cup applesauce (use a cup for measuring liquids for this step)

*I used 1/2 cup dark raisins and 1/2 cup golden raisins–a perfect solution if you don’t want the raisins to overpower the muffins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, walnuts or raisins, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice.

In another bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, and applesauce until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the applesauce mixture just until evenly moistened. The batter may seem dry at first, but it will loosen and smooth out as you beat the mixture.

Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim of the cup.

Bake until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve them warm or at room temperature, with butter.

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And voila! Andrew and I both agreed it was the perfect recipe to usher in the season as it has just the right hint of the best fall flavors.

I’d love to hear from you: what are you most looking forward to about the coming season?